Facing the Far Beyonder
by The Mr E
Summary: Glimpse into the lives of a young adult Littlefoot and his friends as they stand against a monster from Beyond the Mysterious Beyond.  Trained by The Lone Dinosaur, they are among the greatest warriors on Earth, but do they really stand a chance?  An excerpt from "The Battle Before Time". Rated K plus for action.


**I added this scene near the end of "The Battle Before Time" one shot (which I might expand into a full story). Given that I posted that story a little while ago, chances are a lot of readers will miss that scene, so I decided to turn it into its own one shot. However, a portion of this fight scene cannot be found in The Battle Before time, so consider yourselves in for a somewhat exclusive edition.**

**To give some context:**

**1\. Littlefoot and Cera have been training under The Lone Dinosaur since they were kids, although Doc initially refused to take the headstrong Cera under his wing. His unique brand of training strengthens their bones, muscles and scales (see "The Battle Before Time") so that they can move with startling agility in spite of their size, and shake off punishment that would otherwise cause injury. The others weren't particularly interested in learning to fight until the need became evident. Their delayed training is one of the reasons why they're a few steps down from Littlefoot and Cera's level.**

**2\. 'The Baby Star' was sent to help them by the Rainbow Faces - you know, the aliens from 'The Stone of Cold Fire'. Given that the dinosaurs have no point of reference for what she is (and she hasn't said a word since she joined them), they assume that she is a baby star.**

**3\. Of course, as adults, the characters' personalities and dynamics have evolved a bit. For instance, Petrie's grammar has improved. However, he will tend to simplify his speech in more subtle, acceptable ways. For instance, instead of saying "It's over there. Do you see it?" he might say "There. See it?". Ducky's speech has also improved. Though she still has a habit of repeating herself in threes, she is less likely to say 'yep, yep, yep'. Littlefoot and Cera have recently had a serious disagreement (again, see "The Battle Before Time").**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Heavy rain riding on driving wind thundered past Littlefoot under the night sky shrouded in tempestuous clouds. However, he could hardly feel it. Even Petrie, hovering beside him, was completely unperturbed by the wind. He didn't know how, but The Baby Star was shielding him and his friends while increasing their strength. It had something to do with the metallic objects she had temporarily attached like barnacles to their scales. Distributed symmetrically across his body in several areas, he felt a slight buzz as the 'barnacles' fulfilled their purpose by whatever mysterious means. The Baby Star could do many, many things that he did not understand, but could she help them pull through a battle like this?

Standing before the longneck was a creature as tall as he was and then some. However, unlike his species, it didn't have a lengthy neck to bolster its height. As such, it was massive. He wouldn't be surprised if it were as heavy as him, Cera and Ducky combined. Sporadic lightning blasts accentuated its majestic silhouette reminiscent of a feathered flyer. However, the intricate metallic parts composing its body were nothing like any feathered flyer he had seen. It was not a being of flesh and blood. This creature, if it could even be called a 'creature', hailed from Beyond the Mysterious Beyond. Hence, he and his friends had come to call them 'Far Beyonders'.

Littlefoot's mind went blank. It was one thing to fight a sharptooth, but Far Beyonders were all but unstoppable. He and his friends had barely survived their last battle with another ... but they _had _survived. They had even defeated it. He had to remind himself of that. There was a reason why the Rainbow Faces had chosen them to fight this war. They chose them because they could win it.

The Far Beyonder calmly opened its mouth and a tiny ball of bluish white fire formed within it. Instead of casting heat, this 'cold fire' did the opposite. Rain drops turned to ice before his very eyes, bouncing off his shield in crystal pebbles. Even with The Baby Star's protection, Littlefoot felt the ambient temperature drop at an alarming rate as the ball grew bigger. In no time at all, it was huge – big enough to engulf half a longneck.

Littlefoot's eyes widened as he remembered the young ones who had tagged along on the journey. Looking down, he saw the parasaurolophus siblings peeping from behind his leg, each with a single protective barnacle on their back. This was no place for kids, yet they were adamant in their decision to come. It almost felt like retribution for the way Littlefoot and his friends had worried their folks sick when they set off on countless childhood adventures. Needless to say, this was far more dangerous than any adventure of which they had partaken.

"Ark, Anati, you need to run. Hide." Littlefoot commanded. **"Now."**

Staring transfixed at the fireball, the little swimmers didn't answer. If this thing scared him, they must have been absolutely petrified.

Suddenly, the Far Beyonder released a bloodcurdling cry as the ball of cold fire flashed ominously.

**"SPLASH MANEUVER!"** Littlefoot commanded.

Everyone scattered: everyone but the kids. Littlefoot rushed in front of them, his belly slamming into sand as he and lay there, using himself as a living shield just as the cold fire blazed towards them. The full brunt of the blast crashed into the longneck. Somehow, it burnt and chilled to the bone at the same time. For a moment, he could neither think nor feel anything but the pain. For another moment, he could neither tell if he was alive nor dead.

Senses gradually returning in a haze, Littlefoot was vaguely aware of Ruby, sprinting into the trees nourished by the desert river with the youngsters in her arms. Cera was right behind her, blocking the fast runner and her precious cargo with her body. The threehorn was a paradox: prickly, yet there was no denying that some part of her was indubitably a hero.

Littlefoot's consciousness lapsed. When it blurred back to some measure of functionality, he saw the Far Beyonder lower its beak at him, readying a point blank blast. Suddenly, Spike walloped its head with his tail, causing the flame to fruitlessly splatter from its mouth. What he lacked in finesse he made up for with brute strength and natural weaponry. It reeled before nonchalantly steadying itself with its wings. One could almost see a smile on its rigid face as it stood there, staring in amusement as though daring him to try that again.

The Baby Star flew to Spike's tail tip, rapidly disintegrating the sand with its cold fire before reconstituting it. Spike grunted in surprise and looked back to see the sand forged into a metallic object much like the Far Beyonder's body. It engulfed his tail, overlaying his spikes with beastly blades resembling the head of an axe that glowed like live coals. This wasn't the first time she had fabricated alien objects they could scarcely comprehend. Her intuitive nature was such that at times it seemed she fulfilled their very thoughts. And what was Spike thinking? That he wanted to hit the Far Beyonder.** Hard.**

The monster darted clear as Spike swung his weaponised tail, which set the air on fire and evaporated raindrops with a devastating hiss. Then the Far Beyonder struck with the speed of a viper, its beak embedding Spike's tail in the sand. This thing wasn't like the first monster they fought. It was deceptively agile for its size. However, it had failed to notice Petrie and Ducky behind it. The swimmer leapt as the flyer grasped her shoulders with his feet, pulling her into the air so that she jumped several times her height. Once above the Far Beyonder, he released and she fell with her legs tucked. They called it the 'Cannon Ball'.

* * *

_"'Cannon Ball?' What's a 'cannon'?" Littlefoot once asked._

_"My sisters, 'Canna' and 'Non' liked to jump into the water like this when they were little," Ducky explained. "It made a big splash, much to their delight. However, they often landed on someone, which may or may not have been intentional. Good times, hee hee. Eventually, Mom banned the infamous 'Cannon Ball', but Petrie and I thought it would make a good attack."_

* * *

Upon landing, Ducky slammed her feet into the Far Beyonder, quickly leaping off before Petrie dove into it beak first, splatting the monster into the wet sand.

**"Yes, yes, yes!** We **_did _**it!" Ducky cheered.

The Far Beyonder lifted its head from the mud, peeved.

"Uh oh ..." commented the swimmer.

It swooped in, snatched her up and soared into the sky. Petrie was after it like a shot. Then it hurled her towards the ground and the flyer dove after the screaming swimmer. He reached for her and spread his wings. His grip slipped. Resuming his dive, Petrie was acutely aware of the ground closing in. Metres from the floor, her forepaw connected with his foot. He pulled back with all his might and they tumbled in a bumpy landing.

Petrie shook off the fall and got to his feet, habitually flapping the sand off his wings before Ducky squeezed them to his side in a big hug.

**"****I cannot _BELIEVE_ you managed to catch me!"** she exclaimed. **"I don't know how I could thank you enough, no, no, no!"**

"Maybe eat less?" Petrie smirked.

Ducky dialed her hug to 'deadly'.

Petrie gagged. ** "Ow!** **_ Sorry! _ Sounded funny in my head!"**

The Far Beyonder practically oozed amusement as it hovered above its pathetic adversaries. Who was next? It spotted Cera emerging from the trees and surged towards her. She saw it coming and her eyes blazed fury. The threehorn charged. Horns collided with beak in an impact that split the air. She slid back, but didn't fall. Barely even flinched.

The Far Beyonder landed and cocked its head. Strange.

It whirled at her with a bladed wing. She parried with her horns. Again she slid, but kept her footing. With unexpected swiftness, Cera slammed her horns into the monster's chest and it stumbled, barely steadying itself before she drove it back with slashes, thrusts and parries like a prehistoric swordswoman.

Cera thought she spotted an opening and The Baby Star zoomed in front of her, tearing sand from the ground and contriving a menacing machine that fit her horned face and crest like a glove. Occupying the space between her freshly armoured horns, the star powered up her weapon with an ominous hum for a final blow. In the nick of time, the Far Beyond crossed its wings to block her. Courtesy of The Baby Star, Cera's augmented horns practically exploded on impact and sent the Far Beyonder hurtling into the sky. It stopped mid-air, hovering. Beak wide, it summoned a fireball and sent it raging towards her. At her wordless command, The Baby Star spawned an energy shield from her weapon that mirrored the orientation of her crest. She squinted as cold fire consumed the barrier, obscuring her sight so that she never saw the Far Beyonder fly above her. It came down feet first, smashing the threehorn into the sand.

Spotting a rising Littlefoot, the Far Beyonder latched its beak around Cera's horn and tossed her into him. The longneck stood firm, allowing his body to cushion her.

**"I got you!"** he declared, supporting her with his side as she found her feet.

A disgruntled snort made for a poor 'thank you', but Littlefoot wasn't one to complain.

She stumbled, still shaking off the toss. The Far Beyonder advanced and Littlefoot raced to meet it. He caught the slightest flinch of confusion from the creature. No surprise there. It wasn't expecting a giant such as himself to move this fast, and it certainly wasn't prepared for the sauropod equivalent of a martial artist.

Littlefoot lashed out with his tail in tandem with the thunder and lightning rending the sky. At first, all the Far Beyonder could do was attempt to use its wings as a shield against his ever-changing attack pattern. For half a minute, he menaced it with strikes strong enough to shatter sharptooth bone.

Surrounding the metallic monster, Littlefoot's friends were ready to strike given the opportunity. However, the longneck was on a roll. Intervening at that point would only break his streak.

The Far Beyonder teetered when a hit found its head. Perfect. Littlefoot drew back his tail for a finisher. The Baby Star knew what to do, dashed to the tip and transmogrified the sand into structures that ran along his tail like external vertebrae. If the barnacles buzzed, these things almost stung. No surprise there. The structures sent dancing lights like sky fire surging up and down his tail, incinerating the soil beneath them. He was thankful that it only 'almost stung'. With a bellow, he unleashed an crackling lash.

Like a flash, the Far Beyonder darted into the crook of his attack, avoiding the brunt of the strike but nonetheless convulsing for a moment from the shock. Then it caught his tail with its beak, crushing a handful of structures and killing the current.

Littlefoot's friends gasped when it swung the longneck as though his tremendous weight meant nothing, slamming him into the Earth. It hurt, but without The Baby Star's shield, Littlefoot was sure he wouldn't be getting back up.

The longneck sprang to his feet and tried to twist free of the monster's mouth. Its grip was unbreakable.

Cera charged. The Far Beyonder saw her coming and winged into the air with Littlefoot dangling beneath it. Petrie brought it down with a speeding beak to the back and longneck, flyer and Far Beyonder landed in a heap. The metallic monster was quick to its feet, swatting away Petrie, knocking down the rising Littlefoot, shoving him across the wet sand and into a boulder. The longneck's lungs emptied as the impact cracked the rock. Standing over him, the Far Beyonder raised its sharp beak before Littlefoot looped his tail around its neck, prematurely pulled it close and sent it stumbling with a kick.

The others were closing in, only to wince when the Far Beyonder took to the skies with a mighty flap, disappearing into the storm.

"Do you think it's gone?" asked Ducky.

The storm took a turn for the bizarre, lightning bending in unnatural positions. However, most of the gang couldn't discern what was happening. It took the eyes of a flyer.

"Petrie, what's going on up there?" asked Littlefoot, turning to his friend.

Perched atop Spike, the pteranodon shuddered violently as he pointed a shaky claw at the sky.

"It ... I-I-It ..." he stammered.

"Spit it out, Petrie," Cera commanded.

The flyer gulped before blurting his observation: **"It's _BRINGING_ the _STORM!"_**

Wrapped in lightning streaming from the clouds, the Far Beyonder dove towards them with ravenous speed.

**"TAKE COVER!"** Littlefoot commanded.

The dinosaurs rushed behind an over-arching rock just before the Far Beyonder landed in an earth-shattering blast of light and sound. That was hardly the end of it. The Far Beyonder continued to cast sky fire in all directions, scorching sand to glass; boulders to bits. Even the rain and nearby river began to evaporate as the Far Beyonder utterly destroyed the landscape. Littlefoot curled around his friends when their shelter was obliterated, teeth gnashed as the lightning blazed against his hide. He could feel his shield faltering as the pain escalated to the unimaginable. In the middle of it all, Cera was trying to wriggle free.

**"C-CERA!"** he shouted, barely audible amid the thunder.

**"Let GO!"** she demanded.

Lacking the strength to restrain her even if he chose to, Littlefoot let the threehorn stumble free.

_**"BABY STAAAR!"**_ Cera roared.

Before she even finished that command, the star had forged her face-mounted machine which summoned its signature energy barrier. Lumbering in front of her friends, she blocked the worst of the lightning, but the Far Beyonder wouldn't let up. An endless torrent of sky fire fell from the heavens, engulfing the monster in blinding light as its outstretched wings redirected the lightning in all directions. Petrie was right. It was as if it had literally dragged the storm down to them.

Gritting her teeth, she dug her feet into the charred soil. Her face was getting numb, eyes agonised by the incessant radiant energy pounding against her. It was like standing in the middle of a raging river of fire. Nonetheless, she took a step forward. Then another. Belaboured steps quickened to a gallop. The threehorn roared as the Far Beyonder focused its full fury on her. Nonetheless, she pushed through and her armoured horns collided with the monster. The lightning onslaught immediately ceased as the metallic beast was thrown into the air, crashing down in the baked sand with its wings sprawled. Before it could gather its wits, the dinosaurs had pinned it down. Notwithstanding their faltering friendship, Littlefoot couldn't be more grateful that Cera was on his side this time around.

**"Petrie, Flying Rock!"** Littlefoot commanded.

The flyer gulped up at the storm before mustering his courage and rushing into the sky.

**"Ducky,_ sink_ it!"** instructed the longneck.

Cera's weapon disintegrated as The Baby Star zoomed in front of Ducky, dragging the pieces before adding fresh sand as she reintegrating them as a lightweight armour that covered much of Ducky's body - her 'Swim Suit', as she affectionately called it.

* * *

_"And you called it a 'Swim Suit' becaauuse?" asked Cera._

_"Because it's perfectly suited to a swimmer, of course!" Ducky chirped._

* * *

Ducky's bones juddered as The Swim Suit fired up intense vibrations: a slightly concerning sensation, but pleasant once she got used to it. She dove into the ground and the vibrations caused the burnt soil behave like liquid ... somewhat. It was more like swimming through a soupy pond littered with lumps of debris than the fresh, clear water she was accustomed to. Oddly, the Swim Suit allowed her to move at least two times faster underground than she did underwater - a welcome paradox. The dirt muted the din of the surface world as Ducky swam through the ocean of sand, but The Baby Star trailblazing ahead of her gave the swimmer an instinctive knowledge of where she was going. She surfaced underneath the Far Beyonder and grabbed its leg, attempting to drag it back into the sand. However, her grip slipped and the beast retaliated with a vicious stamp.

**"DUUUCKYYY!"** Spike wailed.

Everyone's head turned. Even as an adult, Spike tended to communicate in inarticulate grunts. Only the most extraordinary circumstances prompted him to speak. For his friends, it was usually a chilling sign that worse had come to worst.

Spike went berserk, releasing the Far Beyonder and battering it with his tail. The monster blocked the nastiest of the blows with a raised wing that quavered as the enraged spiketail began to wear it down. Suddenly, the Far Beyonder rapidly lifted that wing, bringing it down just as quickly on Spike's incoming tail. With his weapon pinned, it conjured a ball of cold fire in its mouth.

**"Oh no you _DON'T!"_** Cera yelled.

Forfeiting her position pinning the beast, Cera drove one of her horns into its chest, sparks sputtering as she managed to break through the monster's mysterious shield. This time, the Far Beyonder kept its wits about it, allowing the fireball to continue growing. It angled its head towards her, only for Littlefoot to throw off its aim by hooking his tail around its neck and tugging with all his strength. Nonetheless, the Far Beyonder used its free wing to desperately chop at Cera's horn as she struggled to sink it deeper. A final chop and she stumbled back. Cera's jaw dropped in stunned outrage when she saw half of her horn still lodged in the Far Beyonder's torso. Her rage reached new heights as she charged blindly, only for the Far Beyonder to slash its wing beneath her feet and flip her through the air.

The Far Beyonder fought to take aim at the threehorn while she was down, but Littlefoot foiled it with a mighty yank. Given a few moments, it would have broken his grip, but it didn't have a few moments.

Not long ago, amid the fray The Baby Star had spawned several little things that flew without wings, which attached strings to Ducky's armour and dragged her to safety. This done, she disintegrated the Swim Suit and flying things before zooming into the sky with the pieces trailing behind her. Meeting Petrie in the heavens, she re-purposed the fragments around his body. He briefly panicked as his wings grew stiff for a moment before reminding himself that he didn't need to flap to stay afloat when she engulfed them in metal. Flapping was only necessary when he wanted to move, and _man _could he move when she did this to his wings. Every beat released hissing fire that propelled him through the air with borderline terrifying speed. Still, it was the closest he ever felt to wearing a straight jacket, and her addition to his beak was the closest he ever felt to wearing a muzzle. The trade off on the latter case? That 'addition' had turned his beak into a veritable harpoon tipped with the star herself. Petrie dove, flinching as 'hissing fire' blasted from his back and sent him blazing to Earth like a comet.

Littlefoot squinted as The Far Beyonder's fireball grew to the point where it looked about ready to blow up, casting the blinding glare of a never-ending lightning flash. Even as Petrie's finishing blow drew nigh, it took no notice, putting all its effort into angling its attack at Cera and failing. Then, in the last few seconds, it gave in to Littlefoot's tugging and turned its fire towards the sky._** It knew their plan!**_

Fireball and flyer collided in a devastating blast that bathed the world in blinding light.

...

Moments later, Littlefoot found himself on the floor. For one, long, surreal lull, the rain had stopped falling, atomised by the cold fire. Then it returned in a shower of hail flash-frozen by the outer fringes of the explosion. As hail transitioned to water, Littlefoot looked around, finding himself at the edge of a crater: shallow, but wide enough to fit several longnecks. At the centre of the crater was the Far Beyonder, slumped, sparking, portions of metallic armour stripped bare. He gasped. For a moment, it appeared as though The Baby Star were nestled within its exposed torso. No. That couldn't be right. It was another baby star. Somehow, it felt different from The Baby Star he knew: callous, unfriendly, though the two were virtually identical.

Littlefoot looked around, finding his friends strewn about the battlefield, gathering themselves.

Spike stumbled to his feet and gave a concerned grunt as he nuzzled Ducky, who lay on the ground.

"Yes, yes, yes ... I am okay," she confirmed, struggling to her feet with his help. "Just a headache."

"Same here, thanks for asking," Petrie added in light sarcasm, having lost his metal augmentations. Sitting up, he grabbed his mouth with a wince. "Ow ... Beak hurts too."

A weak glow drew Littlefoot's attention to The Baby Star. He looked down and there she was lying amid the sand, hail and water. She was flickering. He'd never seen her do that. In fact, he'd never seen her touch the ground for more than a moment. She always floated. This wasn't good.

Everyone's eyes turned to the Far Beyonder as it shifted. After attempting to rise and failing, it released a burst of cold fire that devoured the ground around it, slowly but surely repairing the damage.

Cera growled, marching towards the monster.

**"Wait!"** called Littlefoot.

**"WHAT?!"** she spat.

**"You're wet!"**

**"It's RAINING! So _WHAT?!"_**

**"If The Baby Star were protecting us, the rain would slide right off!"** Littlefoot explained.

Cera hit a full stop, realising that he was right.

Littlefoot nudged the star with his tail. "Are you okay?"

He could feel waves of confusion sweeping from her, as though she were suddenly awoken and couldn't shake the sleep from her brain.

"Can you hear me?" asked the longneck.

The star's muddled mind seemed to focus on him ... somewhat. Suddenly, he noticed a familiar sensation of light buzzing peppered across his body.

"I can't feel the rain anymore," Littlefoot stated.

"Well **I** can!" replied Cera. "Tell Baby Star to **_finish_** the**_ job!"_**

Littlefoot repressed an irritated huff. As important as it was for them all to fulfil their duties, The Baby Star wasn't some kind of ... some kind of ... In another life, he might have used the word 'machine'. Then again, in another life he would have known that she was in fact a machine, at least in part.

He rubbed the star the same way one would attempt to rouse a sleeping dinosaur.

"Can you protect the rest of us?" he asked.

She was focusing on him, but not responding - her equivalent of a blank stare. Unlike a groggy dinosaur, the star wasn't coming to her senses.

"Can you even float?" he pressed.

No answer.

"She's in some kind of daze. I think she's stunned ... or hurt," Littlefoot reported.

A grunt expressed Cera's disdain. "Stupid, unreliable little-!"

She stepped into the crater, pawing the ground as she prepared to charge the Far Beyonder.

"It's _covered_ in _cold fire!_" Littlefoot reminded. "Who knows what'll happen if you touch it!"

"No pain, no gain," the threehorn argued. "We go down** fighting!"**

**"Cera!"**

The threehorn blinked at him in mock confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you under the impression that I still respect your authority? Where have you been the past few days?"

"Look, I get it," Littlefoot countered. "You're stubborn. You don't give up, but you're not a fool. The Far Beyonder has a tactical mind: it strategically overpowered us when we had it pinned! If you attack now, it will take advantage of our weakness! Cera, you're one of the best fighters since The Lone Dinosaur, and you need to live to fight another day! Ark and Anati are hiding nearby. They have Ruby, but they _need_ you! The **_world_** needs you! **Go!** Get the kids as far away as possible! The star's protecting me, I'll catch up! Too much is riding on our success!"

In spite of what she said, Littlefoot caught a glimpse of respect in Cera's eyes before she buried it.

"Have it your way, oh fearless leader," she replied, departing from the crater.

Petrie began to protest. "But Littlefoot-!"

"-is a big boy and a good fighter. He can handle himself," Cera interrupted. "Besides, if he wants see his mom, who are we to stop him?"

The longneck stared in stunned silence. She didn't really mean that, did she?

Sensing the impact of her statement, Cera's gaze briefly faltered before she hastily turned and herded the others with her horns. **"C'mon! Let's _go!"_**

A numbness crept in as Littlefoot watched them vanish into the veil of rain, their voices melting into the drone of the sky water. Since his battle with Cera, their friendship had been strained at best, but maybe he was kidding himself. Maybe they were no longer friends.

Littlefoot turned to the Far Beyonder and the numbness was shattered by a piercing chill. It was perfectly intact, good as new. No one would have known that the metallic beast had battled the dinosaurs. On the other hand, Littlefoot felt as though he were at least four times his age, suffering the aches of a lifetime fighting sharpteeth every day. He'd already overcome the primordial fear of staring a sharptooth dead in the eye, but the Far Beyonder was a whole new brand of nightmare. In its eyes, he saw the end of everything he held dear: his friends, his family, his world, his life. Never had he experienced such palpable fear. He was alone. The Baby Star wasn't recovering. The hope of his world would perish with them.

No.

He couldn't think like that. In spite of his efforts to resist the dismal thoughts and feelings, they ceaselessly bombarded his mind. Wait a minute ... 'his thoughts'? That couldn't be right. Last he checked, he wasn't prone to acute episodes of hopelessness, not even when The Baby Star conveyed images of the dark destiny his world was sure to face, should they fail to save it. He then remembered that the star could fill his mind with images and feelings. The Far Beyonder was also a baby star, underneath all that metal. Perhaps it was doing the same. Perhaps it was trying to scare him, but to what end? Why didn't it simply attack?

Littlefoot's eyes widened in realisation. Maybe it couldn't! It looked strong and healthy, but the battle could have taken a toll that he wasn't aware of! He had to exploit this window of opportunity, but how? Without The Baby Star, did he stand a chance against a Far Beyonder, even in its weakened state?

{~You are a clever one, Littlefoot.~}

What was that?! The longneck spun around, but there was nothing behind him. That voice: cold as though it were congealed from the essence of fear, and it sounded as if it had whispered straight into his ear. No, his head!

{~So, you thought you could contend with the titans?~} the voice continued. {~A waste of time. A waste of life.~}

The longneck's jaw loosened as he came to grips with the source of the voice - The Far Beyonder!

"How did-?" Littlefoot swallowed. "How do you know my name?"

{~I have peered into your thoughts, your feelings, your memories. Your 'Baby Star' kept them hidden from me until now. I broke her you see, but then again she was broken since she arrived on this world. Have you had a chance to wonder why she never utters a word? Surely, she would have spoken to you if she could, yet she remains silent while I converse with an insect.~}

Littlefoot was at a loss for words.

{~My strength is returning. Flee or be crushed. Leave The Baby Star. She cannot help you. Enjoy your last days with your friends and family. That is the greatest mercy I can offer.~}

The Baby Star released a shockwave of panic. She had recovered just enough to lift off the ground for a moment before dropping into the mud. Littlefoot attempted to pick her up with his tail, but he couldn't touch her. The strange force surrounding the star caused her to shy from his grip. With the Far Beyonder's fear bearing down on his mind, escape flashed through his thoughts. What else could he do? He couldn't move her. What sense did it make for both of them to die?

The star's panic escalated. If anything, her efforts to shake off the stupor only made things worse. Her frantic flashing pulsated as though she were reflecting Littlefoot's anxious thoughts as he fought to regain stability over his mind. Finally, Littlefoot's will hardened.

"I'm** not** leaving you!" the longneck declared.

The Baby Star's flashing stopped, replaced by the simple flicker indicative of her injury. Littlefoot felt the star's attention fix on him like a steady stare.

_"I. _Am _not_. _Leaving _you," Littlefoot repeated. "You are my friend."

He felt tears at the edge of his eyes, but it took him a moment to realise that they weren't his tears. Behind her featureless glow, The Baby Star was crying: not in fear, but in gratitude, casting emotion so that his body responded as if it were him. A new voice entered his mind, though broken like an nearly incoherent echo.

(~Th (~ank (~you~) Little~) foot~)

Mildly taken aback by her unexpected response, Littlefoot smiled down at her. Then he turned his eyes on the Far Beyonder, which watched with a frigid glare.

{~Give your mother my regards.~}

The Far Beyonder's beak snapped open, ravenously conjuring a ball of cold fire.

Littlefoot felt a chill touch his tail. He looked back to see that The Baby Star had floated behind him, emanating hope and determination like a battle cry. Though she bobbed like a hatchling learning to swim, she rapidly devoured the sand with her cold fire, transforming it into a whirlwind of metallic parts. Littlefoot stared in amazement as the parts pieced together like an intricate nest. That was the best way he could mentally describe it, but instead of a nest she had tipped his tail with a massive construct. With The Baby Star hovering deep in its mouth, the object vaguely reminded him of a creepy crawlie's open jaws, or claws clasped in a symmetrical triangle. This was the first time he'd seen her build something this big on the spot, but it was deceptively light for its size. It occurred to Littlefoot that The Baby Star was carrying a good deal of the load.

"Thanks," Littlefoot muttered.

One problem: he had no idea how to use the tool she had given him. Then she channelled the instructions into his instincts. He curled the very tip of his tail and the device spread its jaws, forming a massive cold fireball between them. Littlefoot laughed. What a weapon!

Quick as thought, he took aim and launched the fireball just as the Far Beyonder unleashed his own. The two infernos clashed in a splashing flash of flame, cancelling out one and other. The Far Beyonder prepared a second blast, but the flames of the collision parted as Littlefoot sent another fireball smashing into him. Realising that he couldn't match The Baby Star's firing rate, he took off, headed for the stormy sky. A well-aimed fireball and it dropped like a boulder. This couldn't go on. He knew that he had to take down the longneck immediately!

The avian beast lowered his head behind wings raised to shield his body. Then he charged on foot as Littlefoot's fireballs ate away at the wings, rendering them useless for flight. However, they had served their purpose. He didn't need to fly. He needed only to get close to the longneck.

The Far Beyonder parted his wings and snapped at Littlefoot, grazing his shield as he dodged him by a hair. Taking advantage of the beast's momentum, Littlefoot curved his neck in a headbutt to the back of the Far Beyonder, sending the monster face first into the mud.

Charging a fireball, the fallen Far Beyonder whipped around his head to unleash it, but Littlefoot to shoved the weapon into his mouth and discharged, obliterating the metal monster's jaw. However, the combination of his blast and the Far Beyonder's mouth full of flame had stripped away a portion of the weapon. The longneck cracked what remained of the weapon across the Far Beyonder's head, stunning him before ramming it into his back. He spread the weapon's jaws, wrenching apart a layer of armour and firing into the vulnerable area.

Without warning, The Baby Star vanished, leaving a confused and concerned Littlefoot. He shook away the worry and focused on the task at hand, splitting into the damaged armour with tail strikes approximating karate chops. Once he could see the star peeping through the metal, he reared as high as he could and brought down the heel of his foot in a boulder-crushing blow that sent tremors through the sand.

The enemy star emanated shock as his light flickered and the metallic husk went limp around him. Littlefoot lifted his body once more, ready finish the Far Beyonder. However, he remained frozen on his hind legs in a crucial moment of hesitation.

{~... You ... you can't do it ... can you?~} the enemy star stated.

Littlefoot's nostrils flared as he willed himself to make a choice.

{~That is ... one of many reasons ... why you never had a chance ...~}

With that, the star's Far Beyonder body fell apart as he shot into the sky, past the clouds at war.

It was over ... for the time being. Would his merciful decision bite him in the back later? Was it even mercy, or weakness? Wise as he was, Littlefoot was aware of the universal scale of morality he had yet to understand. However, he did know one thing - life was precious, and the Far Beyonders bore the marks of a very special special kind of life. They were baby stars, and baby stars were people. Still, he couldn't let them destroy his world, whatever their reasons. The question was how far was he willing to go to defend it?

Littlefoot exhaled, head hanging before he looked around for his missing friend. "Hey. Baby Star?"

A few seconds later, she reappeared from thin air, flickering softly.

"Where'd you go?" he inquired.

She struggled to answer. (~ My (~ I (~ cou (~ ran (~ ou ~) keep ~) energy ~) gether ~)

The star pulsed in frustration.

Littlefoot took a second to try and decode her jumbled response.

"You ran out of energy?" he asked.

Pleased that he understood, she flashed twice for a 'yes'.

Littlefoot nodded. "Rest, my friend. You deserve it."

Glowing with warm appreciation, The Baby Star disappeared, and that was the last he saw of her for several hours.

* * *

**Thank you for spending your time on this humble little morsel of fiction. If you find it within you, please review because, y'know, reviews are nice and I like them (who would have guessed?).**

**Check out "The Battle Before Time" for more, and keep your eyes peeled for the full story ... whenever I get around to that ...**


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